One Sunday Afternoon Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for One Sunday Afternoon (1933). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Dr. Lucius Griffith “Biff” Grimes Gary Cooper is a small-town dentist dissatisfied with his lot. He is married to the lovely and affectionate Amy Lind Grimes Frances Fuller but still carries a torch for his former sweetheart, Virginia “Virgie” Brush Barnstead Fay Wray. Years earlier, Grimes lost Virgie to his old friend Hugo Barnstead Neil Hamilton. When the Barnsteads return to town, Hugo gives Grimes a job in his carriage factory on condition that he spy on the other employees. Grimes, desperate for money because Amy’s mother has come to live with them, takes the job but refuses to turn snitch. When Hugo fires him, Grimes loses his temper and wrestles with a security guard, who is shot in the leg. Hugo blames Grimes, who serves two years in prison. Amy and her mother take in washing to survive. She lies to Grimes about it and spends her hard-earned money on a correspondence course in dentistry.
In the present, Grimes is consumed with revenge. The now-wealthy Hugo needs a dental emergency and comes to see Grimes, who—under the influence of several drinks with his buddy Roscoe Karns Snappy Downer—comes close to killing his old rival while administering a blend of nitrous oxide and oxygen. The story of their past is told in flashback while the anesthetic is taking effect. In the present, Biff turns off the oxygen—and Virginia appears. She is now a harridan who dresses and acts like a prostitute. Clearly she makes Hugo’s life a misery. Grimes rushes to restore the oxygen and pulls the tooth. Barnstead comes to, oblivious to his close call and oblivious to the pass Virginia makes at Grimes, who cooly bids them good afternoon and tells Barnstead there is no charge. Amy comes in and gently scolds Grimes for drinking. Singing In the Good Old Summer Time, he tells her she is very sweet and beautiful and he loves her, and sweeps her up in his arms.
One Sunday Afternoon Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of One Sunday Afternoon (1933) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Present life: a dissatisfied dentist
Dr. Lucius 'Biff' Grimes is a small-town dentist who feels stuck in his lot. He is married to Amy, yet secretly longs for his former sweetheart Virgie. His restlessness colors his days at the clinic and shadows his imagination.
Virgie's past and Hugo's return
Years earlier, Grimes lost Virgie Brush Barnstead to Hugo Barnstead. He still mourns that romance as Hugo returns to town with money and influence. The memory fuels Grimes' bitterness and resentment.
Hugo hires Grimes to spy
Hugo offers Grimes a job at his carriage factory on the condition that he spy on other employees. Grimes is tempted by the money but refuses to act as a snitch. The uneasy bargain foreshadows the strain between them.
The clash, firing, and prison
Grimes' refusal to snitch leads to a confrontation with a security guard, who is shot in the leg. Hugo blames Grimes for the incident and its fallout. Grimes is fired and the next years are spent paying for that moment.
Two years in prison and family hardship
Grimes serves two years in prison for the earlier trouble. Amy and her mother struggle to survive by doing washing to make ends meet. Amy spends her hard-earned money on a correspondence course in dentistry, lying to Grimes about it.
Present-day revenge fixation
With Hugo now wealthy, Grimes is consumed with revenge. The past wounds fester as he navigates his quiet life in the present. The tension hints at an inevitable clash with Hugo and Virgie.
Hugo's dental emergency and the anesthetic
Hugo arrives with a dental emergency at Grimes' clinic. Grimes, drinking with his buddy Snappy, begins to treat him with nitrous oxide and oxygen, teetering on the edge of violence. The anesthetic becomes a window into their shared history as the past is revealed.
Flashback unfolds
As the anesthetic deepens, the story of the past is told. Grimes remembers the factory spying job, his refusal to snitch, the firing, and the subsequent two years in prison. The flashback reframes the present moment with old grievances resurfacing.
Virgie's present-day persona
In the present, Virgie returns as a harridan who dresses and acts provocatively. She seems to complicate Hugo's life and tests Grimes' restraint as he faces the consequences of their past. Her presence further raises the tension in the room.
The rescue and the tooth
Grimes turns up the oxygen to save Hugo, then pulls the troublesome tooth to end the danger. Hugo wakes up, unaware of the near-death moment and of Virgie's machinations. The moment marks a balance between mercy and revenge.
Hugo wakes, unaware
Hugo wakes up, oblivious to the near-death moment and to Virgie's flirtation with Grimes. Grimes remains cool and notes there is no charge for the service. The surface civility hides the deep wounds from their shared history.
Amy's arrival and renewal
Amy arrives to check on her husband and gently scolds him for drinking. Grimes sings 'In the Good Old Summer Time' and tells her she is very sweet, renewing his love for her. They share a tender embrace and dance, choosing love over vengeance.
One Sunday Afternoon Characters
Explore all characters from One Sunday Afternoon (1933). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Biff Grimes (Gary Cooper)
A small-town dentist dissatisfied with his lot, Biff carries a torch for his former sweetheart Virgie. His resentments from the past pull him toward revenge, even as he tries to keep his marriage to Amy intact. The narrative shows his capacity for both impulsive violence and sincere tenderness, culminating in a moment of devotion to Amy.
Virginia Brush Barnstead (Fay Wray)
Virgie is described as a harridan who now dresses and acts provocatively, exerting influence over the men around her. She is the former lover who remains a volatile presence, challenging Biff and Hugo in a power play shaped by wealth and desire.
Hugo Barnstead (Neil Hamilton)
A wealthy former rival who gives Biff a job and later becomes the target of Biff’s anger. His dental emergency brings the two men into proximity again, exposing old tensions and resentment; he remains largely unaware of Virgie’s provocations.
Amy Lind Grimes (Frances Fuller)
Biff’s loyal wife, who keeps the household together while she pursues a professional dream by taking a dentistry correspondence course. She lies about her circumstances to Biff and, later, gently scolds him for drinking, embodying steadfast devotion amid hardship.
Snappy Downer (Roscoe Karns)
Biff’s friend who shares drinks and offers cynical wit, providing a foil to Biff’s seriousness. His presence underscores the film’s themes of camaraderie, risk, and the slippery slope toward trouble.
Mrs. Lind (Jane Darwell)
Amy’s mother who helps with household burdens by taking in washing, highlighting the quiet struggles of family support in hard times.
Dink Hoops (James P. Burtis)
Dink Hoops is a friend from the past, referenced in the film’s broader circle of acquaintances; his appearance hints at the social network that shapes the protagonists’ lives.
One Sunday Afternoon Settings
Learn where and when One Sunday Afternoon (1933) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
Early 1930s
The events unfold in a small American town during the early 1930s. Past events are revealed through flashbacks as the anesthetic takes effect, tracing a history of friendship, betrayal, and redemption. The present-day drama sits atop memories of earlier decades, giving the film a sense of continuity between then and now.
Location
Small-town America
Set in a close-knit American town, the story centers on a dental practice and a carriage factory, showing everyday life and local ambitions. The town functions as a backdrop for marriages, feuds, and personal ambitions. The atmosphere blends ordinary routines with the weight of past choices, shaping how characters interact in the present.
One Sunday Afternoon Themes
Discover the main themes in One Sunday Afternoon (1933). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Revenge
Revenge drives the plot as past grievances resurface in the present. Biff’s longing for Virgie and his anger at Hugo push him toward dangerous choices, testing loyalty and restraint. The story probes whether vengeance can be justified or if it merely prolongs suffering. The aftermath shows how a single vendetta can entangle family, friendship, and moral judgment.
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Memory
The film structures itself around memories that illuminate present decisions. Flashbacks reveal how earlier actions — friendships, betrayals, and rivalries — shaped the characters’ trajectories. Memory serves as a moral compass and a trap, forcing characters to confront consequences they tried to bury. The narrative uses recollection to soften or sharpen the moral glare of the present.
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Love
Love sits at the center of competing loyalties: Biff’s enduring affection for Virgie versus his commitment to Amy. The tension between passion and duty drives the emotional core, culminating in a moment of tenderness that reconciles the couple. The film contrasts youthful longing with married devotion, exploring whether love can withstand the weight of past choices. In the end, affection for Amy remains the grounding force.
One Sunday Afternoon Spoiler-Free Summary
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In a modest Mid‑western town where the rhythm of daily life is set by the clang of the dental drill and the rustle of newspaper pages, Biff Grimes runs a small practice that feels more like a holding pattern than a destiny. Though he shares a warm home with his devoted wife, Amy Lind Grimes, the quiet evenings they spend together are tinged with a lingering sense that some chapters of his life remain unfinished. The town itself, with its front‑porch conversations and slow‑moving summer afternoons, creates a backdrop that is both comforting and confining, urging its residents to confront the choices they have made.
A flash of the past arrives in the form of Virginia “Virgie” Brush, the striking woman who once held Biff’s heart before she married Hugo Barnstead, an old acquaintance whose earlier betrayal still echoes in the corners of the dentist’s mind. Their reunion, unplanned and charged, stirs a mixture of nostalgia and unsettled longing, casting a soft, almost lyrical light over the already hazy line between memory and present reality. The contrast between Virginia’s present life and the love Biff once imagined for her adds a subtle tension that ripples through the town’s otherwise placid atmosphere.
As the days drift toward the quiet hush of a Sunday afternoon, Biff finds himself caught between the steady cadence of his current responsibilities and the restless whispers of what might have been. The modest setting, punctuated by the occasional hum of a tractor and the distant cadence of a church bell, amplifies his introspection, allowing space for both regret and hope to coexist. The film’s tone balances gentle melancholy with a wry, almost nostalgic humor, inviting the audience to linger on the delicate interplay of love, loyalty, and the passage of time.
Through soft lighting, understated dialogue, and a soundtrack that occasionally lapses into an old‑time tune, the story paints a portrait of a man standing at the crossroads of his past and present. It asks, without ever spelling it out, whether the weight of forgotten affection can ever truly be set aside, and what quiet courage looks like when one finally chooses to look a Sunday afternoon straight into the eyes of their own history.
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